Newsmaker | As Yusuf Pathan pads up, TMC’s recent results show he may stand a chance against Adhir

Known for his explosive batting and ability to win matches single-handedly in his heyday, 42-year-old former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan will look to repeat the same in the political arena and pull off an upset by taking down Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday fielded Pathan against Adhir from Baharampur, setting a stern test before the former cricketer who was a key member of the Indian teams that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup and also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Though the Congress has yet to announce its candidates in Bengal, Chowdhury is expected to be fielded again from Baharampur, a Congress stronghold that he has been winning since 1999.

Pathan, born in Baroda to a Gujarati Pathan family in 1982, earned his first India cap in 2007 after his younger brother Irfan. He made his debut in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan, which India won in Johannesburg. After that win, thanks to his big-hitting abilities, Pathan was part of the Indian white-ball teams over the next four years. He was also part of the team that won the 2011 World Cup, during which he played 6 matches in the group stage.

In 2011, KKR acquired Pathan for Rs 9.66 crore and with them he went on to win two IPL titles. Overall, he has three IPL titles, including one with the Rajasthan Royals. He played his last match for the national team in 2012 and retired from all forms of cricket in 2021.

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